Hi,
I'm totally new to D. But it looks very interesting :-)
I normally develop in C++.

I have such a function in C++:

template<class CB,class FIELD>
inline CB* get_class_from_field( FIELD CB::*field, FIELD* mp) {
    return reinterpret_cast<CB*>(
            reinterpret_cast<char*>(mp) -
            reinterpret_cast<ptrdiff_t>(&(reinterpret_cast<CB*>(0)->*field)));
}


Here I come with a pointer to a class member and can calculate the pointer to the class, where the member is within. (Nothing spectacular in c++)

Is this also possible in D?
I noticed that it's not very easy to get a member pointer on the heap. Isn't it?

thank you & best regards,
Stefan

On 05/24/2012 05:29 AM, StefanvT wrote:

> I have such a function in C++:
>
> template<class CB,class FIELD>
> inline CB* get_class_from_field( FIELD CB::*field, FIELD* mp) {
> return reinterpret_cast<CB*>(
> reinterpret_cast<char*>(mp) -
> reinterpret_cast<ptrdiff_t>(&(reinterpret_cast<CB*>(0)->*field)));
> }

I think get_object_from_field() would be a better name.

> Here I come with a pointer to a class member and can calculate the
> pointer to the class, where the member is within. (Nothing spectacular
> in c++)
>
> Is this also possible in D?

There are no pointers to members in D. In C++, member pointers carry the offset of the field. The same can be achieved by using the .offsetof property:

class C
{
    int i;
    int j;
}

CB get_object_from_field(CB, FIELD)(size_t offset, FIELD * f)
{
    return cast(CB)(cast(ubyte*)f - offset);
}

void main()
{
    auto c = new C;
    C c2 = get_object_from_field!C(c.j.offsetof, &c.j);
    assert(c2 is c);
}

I am pretty sure there are better solutions for a more specific problem.

Ali

-- 
D Programming Language Tutorial: http://ddili.org/ders/d.en/index.html

Hey thank you!! :-)

I already tried to use offsetof on my own. But I always try to
cast to a pointer.
And this fails horribly :o)

So thank you. I think I need to have a deeper look at references
and pointer in D!

On 05/24/2012 10:25 AM, StefanvT wrote:
> Hey thank you!! :-)
>
> I already tried to use offsetof on my own. But I always try to
> cast to a pointer.
> And this fails horribly :o)
>
> So thank you. I think I need to have a deeper look at references
> and pointer in D!
>
>

I should have mentioned that pointers to member functions are possible in D as delegates. A delegate keeps the object that it is bound to alive:

import std.stdio;

class C
{
    int i;

    void foo()
    {
        writeln("Called on object at ", &i);
    }
}

alias void delegate() MemberFunc;

MemberFunc return_object_delegate()
{
    auto c = new C;
    c.foo();

    auto d = &c.foo;    // c will be kept alive
    return d;
}

void main()
{
    auto d = return_object_delegate();
    // ... some time later
    d();
}

Ali

-- 
D Programming Language Tutorial: http://ddili.org/ders/d.en/index.html